China Urges Israel to Fully Implement Gaza Ceasefire and End West Bank Settlements

The Palestinian issue remains the core of the Middle East problem and must not be ignored or sidelined, stated Sun Lei, charge d’affaires of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, during an open debate at the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. He emphasised that only by achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue can the cycle of recurring conflict in the Middle East be broken and true peace be realised.

Noting that more than two million people remain trapped in life-threatening conditions and forced displacement, even after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, Sun called on Israel and relevant parties to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and achieve a genuine and lasting cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

‘Israel must fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law, lift restrictions on humanitarian access to Gaza, and ensure that humanitarian agencies, including UNRWA, can carry out their relief operations,’ Sun said.

The envoy pointed out that settler violence in the West Bank continues to cause civilian casualties and widespread destruction of homes. He urged Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities, take concrete measures to curb the violence, and ensure serious accountability for all attacks.

Sun called on the international community to remain firmly committed to the two-state solution, intensify its efforts, and take irreversible steps towards its implementation. ‘Any attempt to alter the territory or demographic composition of Palestine will severely undermine the foundation of the two-state solution and must be firmly rejected,’ he concluded.